Return of the Samurai
by ForsakenMermaid
Summary: One year after Jack vanished from his original timeline, most people believed that he perished in the battle with Aku except for Kimiko, a princess who befriended Jack when they were children. In an attempt to prevent her from spreading hope to the people, Aku sends her to Jack's future timeline, where he must now find a way for both of them to get back.
1. Chapter 1: The Fallen Princess

**Notes**:

First of all, I am a huge fan of all of Genndy Tartakovsky's work, so I do not intend to change his vision or add anything that I don't think he would want. The character of Kimiko is not really an original character because she is meant to be a grown-up version of the little girl from Jack's flashback in episode XIX. This story was originally intended to be a screenplay to conclude the series, but I know Genndy has his own story in mind that he plans to produce if he can raise enough money, so I'm writing this as a fanfic instead and placing it here for your enjoyment.

Also, if you enjoy writing fanfiction, I highly recommend checking out match-dot-colaborator-dot-com where I help out with the interactive features. The producers of Match encourage their viewers to write fanfiction and participate in forums for each short in the web series. If they like your idea, you could get hired to bring it to life and help out with future story ideas, which I think is pretty cool!

This first chapter is fairly short, but they'll probably get longer as the story evolves.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Fallen Princess<strong>

It had been one year since the disappearance of the famous samurai who possessed the only known weapon that could harm the demon Aku. His hostile takeover of Asia was well into play. After conquering the kingdom of Japan, Aku moved on to other nations, including the small kingdom of Ryukyu, where Princess Kimiko was trying hard to adjust to her new life as a slave.

"I don't understand," said a little girl from the village, as she pulled with all her might on a rope to help erect a large statue of Aku. "You're a princess, Kimiko-sama! Why do you have to work too? And how come you don't wear your pretty gold kimono anymore?"

Kimiko looked down at the shredded white rags Aku's minions had forced her to wear when they overthrew the palace. It was nothing like what she was used to, but that didn't bother her nearly as much as what had happened to her parents. Aku chose to make an example out of them to prove his power. He tortured them to their death, forcing her to become an orphan. Part of her wanted to join her family on the other side, but Aku took too much pleasure in her suffering and allowed her to live as his slave, just like the rest of her kingdom.

"I was a princess," Kimiko corrected the child. "Now, I am no different from anyone else. There is no royal family anymore. There is only Aku."

"But who put him in charge? He isn't being very good. His parents should punish him."

"Demons don't have parents," said Kimiko, chuckling to herself. "There is only one person who could stop him, and he disappeared a year ago."

"Where did he go?"

"Most people think he perished in battle, but I believe he survived. His sword was forged by gods and contained the magic of his ancestors. It could not be destroyed, and it is useless in the hands of Aku. If the emperor's son had truly perished in battle, Aku would have used it as a trophy of his defeat. Yet, it was never seen since that day, and neither was the samurai."

"So the samurai is still alive? And he's going to save all of us?" the girl asked with a spark of excitement in her voice.

The cracking of a whip interrupted Kimiko's thoughts. Instinctively, she jumped in front of the little girl to protect her. CRACK! A burning red lash appeared on her stomach from the minion's whip. Both girls dropped the rope, and the statue fell to the ground.

"No one will save you now! Aku is your leader. If you speak against him, you can only look forward to more pain and suffering!" shouted Aku's minion, raising his whip again to the little girl.

"Don't hurt her!" shouted Kimiko. "She's just a child!"

"She is a slave of Aku, just like everyone else in this region. Now get back to work!"

Kimiko stood protectively in front of the child to prevent her from getting hurt as they both struggled to pull the statue back into place. Was this the end for her? Had her life in Ryukyu really been reduced to being a demon's slave? She thought back to her childhood about the sweet boy who taught her how to make an origami cricket when the one she was chasing flew away. He gave her hope by showing her that nothing is really gone if you can still hold the memory of it in your heart. As long as the people continued to remember the samurai with the enchanted katana that had the power to defeat Aku, there was still hope for the future.


	2. Chapter 2: The Cursed Samurai

**Chapter 2: The Cursed Samurai**

Far into the future from Kimiko's struggle, it was a clear day with warm weather. Samurai Jack, however, did not have time to enjoy the weather. He was in the middle of a daring battle with a huge pterodactyl-like robot that had enslaved a community of small blue alien creatures. The robot flew high into the sky to escape Jack's enchanted katana, but Jack knew how to "jump good" thanks to another race he had met earlier in his travels.

The samurai leaped high into the air, where he managed to chop off the left claw of the robot creature, creating a small explosion of sparks and bolts. Jack would have fallen into the branches of a tree below him if the creature did not grab him with its other claw, tearing through the fabric of his gi and piercing through his shoulder. The shock of the blow removed the delicate pin from his topknot, causing his hair to blow freely as the robot pulled him through the air fast enough to make him feel nauseous.

Fighting the pain and the nausea, Jack used all his strength to chop off the claw that was holding him up. Now, he was falling, with the dislocated claw still piercing his shoulder. He ripped it out, tearing even more of his own skin. The pain was unbearable now, but he wasn't ready to give up. Using the claw as a lever, he ricocheted off it even higher into the air. When he was just above the creature, he allowed himself to fall onto its back as it attempted to fly toward him and finish him off.

Now, Jack was the one in control. He stabbed his sword into the neck of the creature, forcing it to fly where he wanted it to. The best place was somewhere far away from the aliens it had enslaved so no one else would get hurt. Using his sword to steer, he directed the flying robot over a large open field. Then, he cut off its steel wing, forcing it to crash-land.

Jack used the beast to shield his landing, but the huge explosion that followed destroyed the top half of his gi and formed shallow cuts and bruises all over his chest. The head of the robot still chomped at Jack, but the samurai finished it off with one final blow from his sword. It was over. He had won.

Bruised and broken, Jack struggled to stand. Small pieces of metal from the explosion had lodged in his wounds, causing them to throb with pain. As he attempted to re-fasten his topknot, the sound of grateful cheers filled him with encouragement.

The small blue alien people from the village ran out to the field in masses to congratulate their savior. They helped to support him so he could walk back to their village with as little pain as possible.

"Thank you," said Jack, grateful for their help.

"No, thank you!" said one of the aliens. "That giant robot had been torturing our people for many generations, forcing us to suffer under Aku's wrath. Now, we are finally free to live the lives that we were meant to live!"

"Your freedom brings me great joy," said Jack, smiling through his pain.

"Surely, there must be something we can give you in return," said another alien.

"There is but one thing I seek," said Jack, "and it is not easy to obtain."

The group arrived back at the village, where the aliens brought Jack into a strange-looking infirmary and tended to his wounds.

"Is it true that Aku sent you here from the past?" asked an alien nurse who cleaned the blood off his shoulder.

"Yes," said Jack, "and I will do whatever it takes to find a way to return."

"I thought we came a long way here when he destroyed our planet of Lafidia, but it sounds like you got the worst of it."

"I am doing my best to right every wrong Aku has committed. I am truly sorry about your home planet."

"Nobody can fix everything. Aku's been around for thousands of years. It sounds like you've given yourself an impossible task."

"It would be less impossible if I could find a way back before any of this began."

"Time travel? You should talk to the oracle."

"The oracle?"

The nurse squeezed out the last metal shard from Jack's wound and wrapped a blue bandage around him

"Yes. She is the oldest of the Lafidians, and she sees all of time and space. If it's time travel you want, she's the one to see."

Jack sat up so abruptly that the nurse dropped the rest of the bandages.

"I must see this oracle immediately!" he exclaimed with a strong sense of purpose.

"Easy there, soldier!" said the nurse. "At least let me finish."

Later, when the top half of Jack's gi was inexplicably restored, the Lafidians led Jack to the tent of the oracle. Not wanting to intrude, he inspected the entrance to find a place to knock. Unfortunately, the entire tent was made of fabric, so knocking was out of the question.

"What are you waiting for?" shouted a crackly voice from inside the tent. "I know you're out there! I see all. Come in! Come in!"

Jack pushed away the fabric at the entrance to the tent.

"Leave your weapons outside," said the crackly voice. "This is a peaceful place."

"But I need my sword," Jack began to protest.

"You will not need it in here."

Reluctantly, Jack found a remote place behind the tent to bury his sword. He prayed to himself that no one would find it while he was inside.

The creature inside the tent resembled an old woman with blue skin and thin strands of white hair. The first thing Jack noticed about her was her eyes, or lack thereof. Where her eyes were supposed to be, the oracle had only empty blue slits with nothing inside of them.

"Can you see me?" asked Jack, hoping she would not take offense to his question.

"I see what others cannot," responded the oracle. "I see your past and your future. My inability to see the present is irrelevant. Give me your hand."

Jack placed his strong square fingers into the oracle's misshapen blue hands with gnarled fingernails.

"How is this possible?" she asked. "Your timeline spans further back than even I have seen."

"I am from the dis—"

"The distant past," the oracle interrupted, finishing Jack's statement.

"Yes," said Jack, "and it was my mission to de—"

"To defeat Aku."

"Yes."

"But before you could finish him, he opened a time portal and sent you here to the future, where his evil is law."

"Yes."

"I see you have had many opportunities to return already, but you have forsaken them all. Why?"

Jack closed his eyes and thought back to his first opportunity to return home. A group of astronauts needed his help to go to a safe planet and escape Aku's clutches. They offered to release Jack in a pod that would go back in time after it surpassed the speed of light. Unfortunately, Aku's minions were attacking their ship, so Jack left the pod to save them. Then, there were the blind archers who he freed from a cursed well and gave up his wish to return to the past so that he could prevent others from being cursed by the well. There had been countless opportunities after that, including the time he had stayed behind to save the Shaolin warriors, and when he had been infected with Aku's darkness and chose to channel the demon's rage into destroying the time portal rather than harming the monks that protected it for him. The answer to the oracle's question seemed clear.

"I will not allow any innocents to be harmed by my selfish desire to return home."

The oracle slapped the back of Jack's hand without warning. It hurt more than he thought it would. He rubbed it with his other hand.

"Well, there's your problem right there!" she shouted.

"What?" asked Jack in confusion.

"You aren't willing to make sacrifices! There have been many paths that lead to what you desire, but they all require a sacrifice. If no sacrifice is made, you will never complete your quest."

"So, you are saying I am doomed to failure."

"No! I'm saying you need to be willing to sacrifice."

"I would gladly sacrifice myself to rid the world of Aku's tyranny," said Jack, frustrated.

"And if you did that, who would defeat him in the past? You wield the only weapon in the world that can harm Aku. Have you forgotten?"

Jack remained silent.

"If you are willing to make a sacrifice for your goal, I can tell you that your next opportunity to return to the past is near."

Jack cheered up at this new sign of hope.

"What is it? What must I do?"

"Are you willing to do whatever it takes?"

"Yes, anything!"

"Including risking the life of an innocent?"

"Anything but that."

"Then you aren't ready yet."

Now, Jack was angry.

"Please, I beg you!" he cried. "You must tell me. I will decide whether or not I am ready."

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes!"

"I don't think you're ready."

"I do not have time for this! Please just tell me."

"Very well," said the oracle. "Tomorrow night, all of the planets will align in a very specific formation that only happens once every ten thousand years. This will cause the moon to shoot out a beam of light that, if reflected by a device forged with magical ruins, can create a portal back in time. However, this magic will only last until the sun comes up the following morning."

"Where will I find such a device?" asked Jack.

"You already have it. Your sword is made of reflective material and powered by magic."

"Then there is no time to waste! Thank you, oracle."

"Don't thank me. You must still be willing to make the sacrifice required for this to pass."

But Jack had already left, failing to heed her warning. He returned to the spot where his sword was buried and was relieved to find it still there, untouched. After bidding the Lafidians farewell, Jack disappeared into the sunset to prepare for his final journey home.

Unbeknownst to him, Aku was already well aware of the alignment of planets that was about to take place. He watched Jack from his flame projector in the Pit of Hate.

"That's right, Samurai," Aku taunted, "Keep replenishing your will with a new sense of hope. It will make it all the more devastating when I extinguish it!"

Aku cackled manically as he released thousands of the latest models of bug drones. Then, he switched the channel on his flame projector to another familiar face—the Scotsman who had befriended Jack earlier in his journey. His trap was set.


	3. Chapter 3: Kimiko's Hope

**Chapter 3: Kimiko's Hope**

In time, Kimiko learned to find simple pleasure in her work for Aku. She was not the sort of person to stay depressed for long. She enjoyed getting to know the people who once resided in her kingdom. As they attempted the seemingly impossible feat of carving Aku's visage into every tree in the forest, Kimiko took time to herself to turn the leaves into origami animals, such as crickets, cranes, and unicorns. Her work entertained those around her. For just a moment, they forgot that they were starving and abused.

"Where did you learn to do that?" asked a gentle elderly man as he bent some branches into the shape of Aku's horns.

"When I was very young, a boy created a cricket out of paper and presented it to me as a gift. He showed me that if something has abandoned you, it is possible to recreate it with your own hands. I have been obsessed with the art of origami ever since."

"That's a nice thought," said a young man who hung from the top of the tree to chop down stray branches, "but you are being naïve. No one can bring back the golden days of the empire."

"You must have faith," said Kimiko. "If not, it's already too late."

"It is too late," insisted the man, as he hacked down some branches that fell to Kimiko's feet. "Just because you've lived a charmed life until now does not mean things are going to get better for you, Princess. There is no weapon on Earth that can harm Aku."

"Yes there is," insisted the princess.

"You don't mean the enchanted katana of the Japanese emperor's son, do you?" asked the elderly man. "Both the samurai and the sword perished over a year ago."

"That topic of conversation is off limits, slave!" shouted one of Aku's minions.

Kimiko knew exactly what was coming next. She had so many scars on her body from their whips that she lost count. Her rags were torn practically to sheds, yet she never stopped protecting her people. She felt that it was her responsibility as the only remaining member of the royal family. Once again, she guarded the gentle old man and took a laceration to her hip. She had gotten so used to the pain that it was barely noticeable now.

"You can't protect them all," chided the minion.

"Maybe not, but I can still spread the message of hope. I have seen no proof that the samurai was defeated nor that his katana was recovered by Aku. Until I am shown this, I will continue to believe that Aku's tyranny will come to an end. Am I right, everyone?"

The minions glared at Kimiko's people. A woman nodded slightly at her and then cowered away when a minion raised his whip threateningly toward her.

"Aku will hear about your treason and decide upon a suitable punishment," said one of the minions. "As for the rest you, if anyone should be foolish enough to follow in her footsteps, you will be beaten until your feet can no longer carry you anywhere."

The rest of the slaves returned to work in silence, but Kimiko did not lose her air of hopefulness. She knew deep down that something big was about to happen. There was still a lot more left to live for than Aku's minions wanted her to believe.

That night, the slaves were being assigned their sleeping shifts so they could continue working at full speed. When it was Kimiko's turn, a mysterious man in dark clothing tapped her on the shoulder while the minions had their backs turned to her. He reached out a gloved hand with narrow fingers and whispered to her in a low voice.

"I heard you earlier," he said softly. "You don't believe that the samurai is dead. You're right. He is alive."

"I knew it!" Kimiko squealed with excitement. "Do you know where he is?"

"Yes, and he is in trouble. If there is any hope of him defeating Aku, he will need your help. I can take you to him."

The minions began to turn around.

"Where is that rotten princess? It's her sleeping hour! No one defies Aku!" said one of them.

"Hurry," whispered the mysterious man, stretching his hand out to Kimiko further than what seemed humanly possible.

Kimiko nodded and took his hand. He pulled her into the darkness just before the minions caught sight of her. Together, they ran through the trees, weaving in and out of stray branches and thorns. Kimiko had no idea where they were going, but she was filled with excitement at the prospect. She would finally see the fabled man who represented the hope of all her people and all the people in the world. What would such a man look like? A million images rushed through her head.

Finally, they stopped running, and the pictures in her mind came to a screeching halt. She saw before her a faint orange glow. Could this be where the samurai was trapped? She didn't have time to ask before the man in black pushed her into the glow. She found herself falling for miles into an endless pit of fire. The Pit of Hate! She had heard stories about it before, but she did not imagine that such a place could actually exist. Upon realizing that the pit was bottomless, she caught herself on one of the fire spikes attached the wall and climbed atop it. Though the spike was very hot to touch, it did not burn her.

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

The laugh was familiar to her. The man in black jumped after her and grew bigger, seeming to support himself without standing on anything. As he grew, the face under the hood revealed itself to be green with flaming eyebrows. The hood stretched and curved into the horns that the old man was carving from the tree earlier that day. Kimiko had come face to face with her own worst enemy.

"Aku," she gasped.

"Yes, it is I," Aku cackled. "I have fooled you, Princess, and now, you shall be punished for your crimes against me."

Kimiko stared up at Aku's enormous form. This was the demon who murdered her family and turned her people into slaves. She wanted to scream or throw something at him, but she knew all too well that would do her no good. Instead, she did the only thing she knew she was good at. She laughed. Aku looked at her in confusion as her awestruck face melted into a smile with an uncontrollable giggle fit.

"What's the matter with you?" asked Aku, scratching horns in bafflement. "Don't you know who I am? I'm the shogun of sorrow, the deliverer of darkness!"

"I know," Kimiko said in between fits of delighted laughter, "I heard that you could shapeshift, but I never saw it in person before! It's amazing! Do it again!"

Aku scratched his flaming goatee. At least she was impressed by him. His goal was to be worshipped, after all. Perhaps he could work with this.

"Uh, what do you want me to turn into?" he asked.

"Become a crane!" she exclaimed, giggling even harder.

Aku morphed into a huge black crane with a green beak and red claws. Kimiko squealed with delight. He looked just like the cranes she made from her origami leaves except much bigger.

"Now become a dragon!" she exclaimed.

Aku morphed into a long and sleek black Chinese dragon with a red beard and green scales. Kimiko applauded and cheered.

"Now a unicorn!" she insisted.

Aku was getting frustrated with her games. He was supposed to be punishing her. "I don't do unicorns," he said.

"Why not? I thought you were the all-powerful shogun of sorrow," Kimiko taunted.

"I am!" insisted Aku.

"Then why can't you turn into a unicorn?"

"Oh, fine!"

Aku morphed into a huge black stallion with a green mane and tail and a long red spiraling horn. "Are you satisfied yet?"

"Now, do a—"

"That's enough!" Aku interrupted, snapping back to his original form. "I am not here for your amusement."

"That's right," said Kimiko. "You are here to show me what happened to the samurai."

"Haven't you figured it out by now?" asked the demon. "I destroyed him!"

"Did you?"

"You still don't believe me?"

"I'll believe you as soon as I see some proof. What happened to the enchanted katana?"

"The one thing in the world that could hurt me? Ha! Like I would tell you where it is!"

"Then I will continue telling everyone that the samurai is still alive and that they do not need to follow your orders because he is going to defeat you."

"Why you little! I could destroy you right now with a single glance!"

Aku's eyebrows flared up with bright sparks. His eyes began to glow bright yellow, ready to unleash a powerful fire beam that would burn Kimiko's body into nothingness.

"Go ahead," said Kimiko. "Then I will be happily reunited with my family, satisfied to know that the samurai will come back and defeat you."

Aku's eyes stopped glowing. He played with his flame-shaped goatee. "No, no, I can't have that. There's no use in destroying if you want me to. Hm, what to do? What to do?" He continued bouncing his goatee up and down through his claws. Finally, an idea struck him.

"Yes, I have it," he said. "You want proof that I destroyed the samurai, right?"

"Yes, please," said Kimiko.

"Then you will know that there is no longer any hope for your race?"

"There is always hope."

Aku groaned. "Okay, okay. Here's what I'm going to do. I will prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the samurai is gone forever."

"I'm listening," said Kimiko.

"I am going to send you to the same place I sent him one year ago."

A rush of excitement surged through Kimiko. "So he is alive! I knew it!"

"No, no, he won't be," said Aku, trying to convince himself just as much as her. "I would have destroyed him by now. I mean, by then. I mean . . . Well, you'll see."

"Would have? By then? I don't understand."

"When you get there, you will see once and for all that there is no hope for the future. Ha. Ha. Ha," Aku cackled, forming his mouth into a round shape. "A few years later ought to do it," he said.

"A few years later than what?" asked Kimiko.

White circles grew from Aku's mouth and forming around Kimiko. She felt herself being stretched and pulled in every direction. The world around her began to spin. Nothing was solid anymore. The walls were shifting and morphing into blurs of light and color. Then, she felt herself being pulled somewhere, but not through space. It felt as if the very hands of time were being stretched around her. The next thing she knew, she was falling.


	4. Chapter 4: Many Unhappy Returns

**Chapter 4: Many Unhappy Returns**

The following day, Jack was hard at work calculating the best angle to place his sword to reflect the moonlight when it came out. He found an open field with a clear view of the sky and gathered some rocks that would allow him to prop up his katana just so. The soft dirt under his sandals made a perfect drawing board for him to chart out the stars and planets so that he could determine which way to reflect the light for the time portal.

After the rocks had been set up in just the right formation to prop the sword, Jack noticed that some of the smaller stones were rattling on the ground. In a chain reaction, the larger stones began to shake as well. Soon, the entire structure that had taken him hours to build collapsed in front of him. A horrible mechanical sound from the distance got ear-piercingly loud as three aggressive-looking robots riding oversized motorcycles drove up to the samurai. One was steel blue and massive, with enormous metal fists that had sharp spikes on each knuckle. Another was tall, narrow, and yellow, wielding a thin black sword. The third was shaped like a red cube with a chain of grenades all around its perimeter.

"Samurai Jack!" shrieked the yellow robot in a high-pitched voice.

"That's you, isn't it?" asked the red cube in a flat computer-generated tone.

"Yes," sighed Jack in annoyance.

"We're here to collect the bounty Aku has on your head," said the blue robot in a gruff, low-pitched voice.

"Will I ever be able to enjoy a moment's peace?" asked Jack, lifting his sword for battle.

Before he had an opportunity to strike, the blue robot punched him hard, knocking him into the dirt and leaving several fresh scratches on his chest from the spikes on its knuckles.

"Nope," he said gruffly.

As Jack tried to get to his feet, the yellow robot stabbed at his heart with its sword, but Jack was too quick. He rolled over in the dirt, dodging the sword and then reached up with his own katana, chopping off its legs so its upper half fell to the ground. Taking advantage of this, Jack immediately stood up and ran as far as he could as the cube-shaped robot released a grenade toward him. He escaped most of the explosion, but it still burned some of his back and tore part of his gi. He turned around to face his two remaining attackers. As another grenade flew through the air, he jumped up and chopped it in half before it could reach the ground with one strike of his sword. Then, he raced toward the massive steel blue robot and stabbed it in the chest, creating sparks and bolts all around them. He waited for the robot to attempt to punch him again and jumped out of the way at the very last second. It got hit by another grenade that was aimed toward Jack's previous location and exploded into bits. Diving through the air, Jack stabbed the red cube-shaped robot from above, using gravity to strengthen the blow. Its chain fell of, and it exploded alongside its two fighting partners. Jack turned away from the explosion and sheathed his sword. Aku never let him have any rest.

It was nearly sunset by the time Jack had finished rebuilding his original design. This time, he wouldn't let anyone get in his way. He hammered the rocks firmly into the ground to create a solid base. When he placed his sword onto the formation, preparing to reflect the moonbeams, he noticed some movement in the blade's reflection. He leaned in closer to see what it was showing him and gasped. A seemingly endless array of bug bots were marching in the distance toward his friend's village. The Scotsmen were indeed strong and formidable warriors in their own right, but an attack of this magnitude would surely result in casualties. He could not return to his own time knowing that their blood was on his hands. Jack removed his sword from the structure and raced toward the Scotsman's village.

Jack knew that he had made the right decision when he arrived. All of the Scotsmen in the village had gathered into a single mass and ran at the bug bots, destroying one wave after another. However, with each wave, they grew increasingly weaker. If they kept this up, they would run out of all their strength. Jack remembered how both he and the Scotsman had battled until neither of them could move when they first met, refusing to admit defeat. The screaming, running, and clashing of sword would get them nowhere fast at this rate. They continued to slash the bots into bits, take mere seconds to recover their strength, and repeat the same thing over again. Each time, their battle cries grew softer. He searched for his friend within the crowd.

"Well, if it isn't mah old buddy," said the Scotsman, panting a bit as he continued slashing at the robots with his enormous sword. "What brings ya out here?"

"I'm here to lend my assistance," said Jack, as he also slashed at several bug bots.

"That's mighty pleasant of ya, but as ya can see, we've got things well under control."

Jack watched all of the large redheaded warriors screaming at the top of their lungs and exerting all of their energy in an overwhelming display.

"I am afraid I have grave news, my friend," said Jack. "This army goes on for miles. I saw it from the field outside your village. Your people will tire themselves out before they defeat even half of them."

"Ya don't know what yer talkin' about! Jus' look at us! We were born for this! It's what we do."

Jack did look. The Scots grew more tired with each explosion. Many of them seemed as if they could barely lift a sword anymore. Jack got the attention of several fallen warriors by tapping them on the elbows since most of them were too tall for him to reach their shoulders. He pointed toward the rocky cliffs above them. "If you wish to defeat your enemy," he said, "you must take full advantage of your environment. Right now, we are immensely outnumbered, but this war can still be won without casualties if we attack from above, where they cannot reach us."

"And what makes ya so special, Mr. Smarty-Skirt?" asked one of the warriors. "Just 'cause ya helped defeat the army of Boone one time doesn't mean ya can boss us around in yer granny's nightgown!"

"It was merely a suggestion," said Jack calmly. He had gotten used to their aggressive mannerisms by now.

After a few more waves, however, the Scots began to reconsider. Many of them were panting heavily and struggling just to stand up. Each warrior was covered in cuts and bruises from the bug bots' attacks. Finally, several of them sauntered toward the cliffs.

"Fine, we'll do it yer way," said a gruff warrior, "but only because I feel sorry for ya, being such a wee lad. This might be the only chance ya get to lead the most formidable army on Earth."

"I am honored to assist with your victory," said Jack, bowing his head. The Scots stared at him in confusion as they climbed atop the cliffs.

Following Jack's instructions, the Scotsmen gathered many boulders from the cliffs and threw them down on the invading army of bug bots below. They were able to destroy the bugs on contact, and carrying the huge heavy boulders was no problem for the massive warriors in the clan. Over time, the pile of rocks and destroyed robots formed a wall that became too high for the remaining bug bots to climb over. They crushed each other in the attempt, and it appeared that the battle had been won. The Scotsmen cheered for Jack, and his friend lifted him high onto his shoulders. Bagpipes were played by several clansmen. Jack smiled while covering his ears from the loud music.

"We coulda' done it ourselves, but we appreciate the help," said the Scotsman. "Come celebrate with us!" He began to carry Jack toward a large tavern.

"Thank you, my friend," said Jack, "but I'm afraid I cannot stay. There is something very important that I must do."

"Aw, come on! You'll beat out an endless swarm of drones, but yer too chicken to down a few pints of beer?"

"It isn't that," said Jack. "I—wait." He held up his hand to silence the Scotsmen. The rock wall they had formed began to rumble. In between the rocks were massive amounts of sticky black oil that came out of the crushed bug bots. The oil began to slither on its own like a snake. Each drop merged to form a round shape that broke through the wall of boulders. "Ha. Ha. Ha." They all knew that laugh. Jack jumped off his friend's shoulder and unsheathed his sword.

"Aku!" yelled Jack.

A bagpipe being held by one of the Scotsmen fell to the ground like a shattered glass. The round shape grew into a narrow cylinder that pushed past the pile of boulders and reached the cliffs above where Jack and the Scotsmen stood ready for battle.

"Since I destroyed your village a long time ago," said Aku, "I was up late last night wondering to myself how I could make your life even more miserable. Then, it hit me! What if I destroyed your friend's village? You wouldn't like that very much, would you?"

Jack continued holding up his sword in an attack formation.

"Well?" asked Aku. "Would you?"

"Er, no," said Jack, realizing the question was not rhetorical.

"Good! I think I'll start with that house over there," said Aku as his eyes began to glow, charging up a massive fire beam.

"No!" cried out Jack's friend. "That's me home! Me wife's in there!" He jumped off the cliff at Aku, trying to rip through him with his sword, but it had no effect.

"Fool!" said Aku, "There's only one weapon that can hurt me."

The beam was about to shoot out of the demon's flaming eyes, but Jack jumped on his head and made a cut right down the middle of his face that caused beams to be misdirected into the air, where they created flames on empty patches of dirt on the ground.

"You will harm no one as long as I am here," said Jack.

The slit Jack made in Aku's head grew wider, reforming the demon into the shape of a bull. He ran toward Jack, who slashed at his horns, causing part of Aku's demonic skin to disintegrate from the magic of the enchanted katana. As Aku continued charging at Jack, the warriors from the Scotsman's clan began moving the boulders in front of their houses to shield them from the blasts.

"Yer gonna have to do better'n that!" shouted one of the Scotsmen. "We've kept this home for a long time, and we're not givin' it up now!"

Aku shot a fire beam at the warrior, burning him. Jack angrily slashed at the demon, damaging him more with each blow.

"If you're going to pick on someone," he said, "Pick on me."

"Gladly," said Aku, as the demon morphed into a six-armed warrior and grew artificial flaming swords in each arm. He slashed at Jack, but Jack deflected each of the false swords with his katana, damaging Aku more each time. The shape-shifting demon began to shrink. He lost too much strength from the power of Jack's sword. "Curse you, Samurai!" He morphed into a raven and perched on a nearby boulder. Jack expected him to retreat since that's what he normally did after he had been weakened, but raven Aku didn't seem to be going anywhere. Hoping it wasn't some sort of trick, Jack took advantage of the situation as he raised his katana for one final strike.

"This is the end for you, Aku."

"Oh dear, look at the time!" said the raven. Jack faltered for just a moment in confusion as Aku flew away toward the rising sun.

"It's dawn!" Jack realized.

"That's right, Samurai," said the raven, flapping its wings high in the air. "I knew that the planets were going to align tonight, so I needed to distract you just until the sun came up. I'm sure lucky it came up when it did, huh? You almost had me there. Well, see you in another ten thousand years, not that you'll live that long!"

The demon raven flew away, leaving Jack broken and defeated. The Scotsmen scratched their heads and beards in confusion.

"What was he blathering about?" asked Jack's friend.

"Last night, the planets were to align in a formation that would allow me to reflect the moonlight off my blade and travel back to the past to defeat Aku once and for all," Jack explained, "but now that won't happen again for another ten thousand years."

"What?" asked the Scotsman, horrified. "Ya blunderin' buffoon! Ya coulda been well on yer way to riddin' the world of Aku, and ya wasted it when we didn' even need yer help? Are ya sick in the head or somethin'? Was it those sirens again? I mean ya were always a strange one, but this is just blasphemy! Why would ya waste a chance like that when we woulda been jus' fine without ya! Oh sure, jus' walk away like ya always do, all high and mighty! Look at me! I'm Samurai Jack! I wander around my granny's pajamas brooding away because I'm too much of a sissy to do what needs to be done! Boo-hoo-hoo!"

As the Scotsman ranted, Jack walked away into the rising sun, tired, and nearly out of hope that anything would change for him. The oracle was right. If he continued caring so much about everyone around him, perhaps he never would get home.


	5. Chapter 5: A Grave Misunderstanding

**Chapter 5: A Grave Misunderstanding  
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Kimiko fell out of the portal high up in the sky. She shrieked, thinking that she would surely plummet to her death, but a red tarp covering a tent caught her fall. When she hit it, it tore and carried her gently to the ground. Now that her white rags were practically torn to shreds, she realized it would be a good idea to cover herself in case someone saw her. The only inhabitants she could find in the tent were dogs, so she helped herself to the fine red fabric that the tarp was made from, using her origami skills to fold it into a kimono fit for a princess that covered the lacerations on her body from Aku's minions' whips. She tore off a piece from the bottom and tied it into an obi behind her back.

"You don't mind my using this, do you?" she asked the dogs, giggling to herself as if they could understand her.

"Not at all!" responded a blue dachshund wearing a monocle. "You seem to need it far more than we do."

Kimiko dropped the bottom half of the tarp and fell backward in shock.

"My goodness!" exclaimed the dachshund. "Are you all right?"

"You—you—you—can talk!" she cried, adjusting her obi from the fall.

"But of course!" said the dachshund, blinking at her wide-eyed confusion. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"To be quite honest," said Kimiko, getting back up on her feet, "I'm not exactly sure where 'here' is."

"She's acting an awful lot like Samurai Jack did when he first came here," said a black terrier with a Scottish accent. "He was also confused by our speech patterns."

Kimiko's heart began to race. "A samurai? When was he here?"

"It must have been a few years," said the terrier. "He was sent here from the past by Aku. He rescued our race from forever slaving away for Aku in the mines. Very nice guy."

"And he's still alive?" asked Kimiko.

"Indubitably," said the dachshund. "He certainly knows how to take care of himself."

"Then I must find him! My people need the power he wields in his blade."

The dachshund began scanning Kimiko with a mechanical device as she tied a piece of the red tarp decoratively around her hair. "All in good time, my dear," he said. "My name is Sir Colin Bartholomew Montgomery Rothchild III, and this is Sir Angus Mcduffy," he said, referring to the Scottish terrier. And what shall we call you?"

"My name is Kim—"

"My goodness!" Colin interrupted. "You're just as old as he was! The scanner dates your particles all the way back to 24 years before Aku's reign! Did you know him, Kim?"

"I don't think so," said Kimiko, "but Aku sent me here to prove to me that there was no hope left in the world. Now that the samurai still lives, I see that he was wrong. Samurai Jack is our hope, and I will find him and bring him back to free the people of my kingdom."

"That's mighty gutsy of you, Kim," said Angus, "but he's been wandering the world for years trying to do just that and hasn't had any luck yet. What makes you think you can change that?"

"I'm sure I can," said the girl they called Kim. "I just don't know how yet."

"There's no hurry, is there?" asked Colin. "You seem like you're in need of a good meal and some rest. Why don't you stay here for a spell? This region has already been freed by Jack, so no harm should come to you."

"Thank you," said Kim cheerfully. "I'd like that very much."

The dogs treated her to the meat off the bones that they gnawed on for supper that night, and she slept peacefully in one of their tents. The next morning, they gave her a small bag of rare jewels from the mines to aid her on her travels and sent her in the direction that Jack went when he was there last.

Kim's journey took her to many fascinating lands, where she met many equally fascinating creatures, all of whom told her that they owed everything to Samurai Jack. First, she encountered the Woolies, who told her stories of how Jack had freed their kind from the wicked Critchelites who held them captive. Then, she met three archers who told of an ancient well that granted wishes at a cost and how Jack had sacrificed his own wish to destroy the well. There were the Tri-seriquins, whose home was restored to the surface of the ocean thanks to Jack, the Monkey Man's tribe, who taught Jack to "jump good" in exchange for freeing them from their tormenters, the Spartans who Jack led to victory, and countless others. Each group that Kim encountered treated her to food and shelter when she told them that she was an ally of Samurai Jack. So enchanted was she by the sights and beings she encountered that she began to wonder if this world really was tormented by Aku's reign. If it was, the samurai was doing an excellent job of keeping things at bay.

After she had spoken to nearly everyone Jack had encountered on his journey, Kim found herself in Central Hub, a busy city like none she had ever seen before, with flying chariots, pollution, loud music, and shady-looking characters everywhere. She picked up some metallic foil she found on the ground and folded it into the shape of throwing stars, a complex origami design that it had taken her months to master. Her philosophy was that anyone who saw her with the stars would assume that she was a skilled warrior and leave her alone.

Aku's influence was clear to her in this place, as she noticed that his face was plastered all over the screens on every building and transportation device. She shivered at the sight of the demon, remembering what he had done to her people, but fortunately, they all seemed to be merely projections, not the real thing.

As Kim continued to wander around the city, exposing her fake throwing stars, she noticed a poster plastered to the brick wall of a tavern portraying an Asian man with the caption "WANTED: MOST DANGEROUS MAN ON PLANET." There was a second picture on the bottom of a straw hat covering his familiar dark eyes that said "SOMETIMES IN HAT." Kim stared at the drawing for a while, realizing that despite all the stories she had heard about Samurai Jack, she'd never seen his face. Could this possibly be him? There was something so familiar about those eyes that she couldn't quite place her finger on. Perhaps they had met before a very long time ago.

"What are you staring at?" said a crackly voice. Kim turned around to find a metal man watching her. He was red and made shiny of cylinders and cubes. She had never seen such a thing before.

"What are you?" she asked curiously.

"Hey, it's not nice to ask people what they are. Can't you tell I'm a robot?"

"I didn't mean to insult you," said Kim. "Do you know anything about this man?"

"Everyone knows Samurai Jack! You must have been living under a rock!" responded the robot.

"So it is him!" Kim tore down the poster and carried it with her into the tavern.

"Hey, you can't do that!" warned the robot, but she was too quick. Several of Aku's watch droids locked onto her as a target when she was caught ripping down one of his posters. They took aim, but before they could shoot, she was already inside the tavern, completely oblivious to them.

Kimiko ordered hot water from the bartender and made herself a cup of black tea. As she waited for it to cool, she folded the bottom of the wanted poster into a stand and placed it in front of her on the table, staring at the man in the drawing. Where had she seen him before? Then, it dawned on her. She took a napkin off the bar and folded it into the shape of a cricket. As she held the origami cricket in front of the picture of the samurai, her eyes widened. Could this possibly be the same boy she met in the wheat field as a child? The one who gave her hope by showing her that she could recreate memories through physical objects so that nothing is ever really gone?

"Well, it looks like someone is fixin' to catch herself a samurai," said a female voice with a strange accent. Kim turned around to find a woman in a beautiful and revealing green dress with a matching hat and parasol. There was something about this woman that she didn't quite trust. "You know how to use those?" asked the southern belle, eying Kim's origami throwing stars.

"Yes," Kim lied. "I am a very skilled warrior."

"Why, that's just peachy keen! I just might have a deal for you then," said the woman. "Maybe you can succeed where my ex-husband could not. I happen to have some exclusive insider information that the samurai is headin' over this way."

"Really?" asked Kim. Her eyes lit up with excitement.

"What you say about helpin' me out and splittin' the profit 50/50?"

Kimiko had no idea what she was talking about, but she got the impression this wasn't a woman who should be messed with. Plus, if she helped her find Samurai Jack, it could only turn out well in the end. She nodded her head in agreement.

"Excellent! Name's Josie Clench. Pleasure doin' business with ya," Josie said as she held out her hand to Kim.

Taking a shot in the dark, Kim gave placed her delicate hand in the southern belle's hand and shook it. "They call me Kim," she said.

Everyone went quiet as the tavern door swung open. Kim turned to see what the commotion was about. At the newcomer's feet were thong-toed wooden sandals. He wore a white martial arts gi with a periwinkle trim. At his side was a katana with a gold hilt and a black tie around it. His head was covered by a large straw hat, but everyone there seemed to have a strong suspicion of whose face was under it, which was confirmed when he took of his hat and placed it next to him on the table of the bar, revealing his topknot. "Hot water, please," he said to the bartender.

"You distract him," Josie whispered in Kim's ear. "I'll sneak up from behind."

Before Kim could argue, Josie pushed her right up to the bar next to Jack. Not sure what to say, she nervously ran her finger along the stitching of his hat on the table. Jack's reflexes were quick. Feeling her gaze, he turned to her suspiciously and gave her a look that frightened her out of her wits. "Um, I'm sorry," she said. "It's just, um," she continued to stumble for words. Any words.

Jack's gaze softened when he saw her face. "Have we met?" he asked.

"Well, gosh golly," said Josie from behind in her thick southern accent, "I'd be ever so offended if you'd forgotten about little old me! I'm told I make quite the impression on the boys."

With that, she attempted to stab Jack in the back using a hidden sword inside her parasol, but the samurai immediately unsheathed his sword and blocked her attack. The patrons in the tavern gathered around to watch the fight. Kim froze in her seat, not sure what she should do.

"You I remember," Jack said through clenched teeth.

Josie released the handle of her parasol that was attached to a chain, aiming it for Jack's feet so that she could knock him over like she had done once before, but he dodged it and chopped off the chain with his sword.

"Kim, now!" shouted Josie, gesturing for Kim to attack.

Kim just stared in wide-eyed confusion. She would never hurt Samurai Jack, but she also didn't have the proper training to be able to protect him. When she saw Josie reaching for the handle of the severed chain, she grabbed the other end to prevent her from throwing it at Jack, but instead, she pulled it too tight, causing him to trip on it and fall over by accident.

"Good job!" Josie cheered. "Now, quick! Throw them at him while he's down!"

Kim pulled out one of her origami throwing stars, pretending to aim it for Jack. After seeing what Josie was capable of, she did not want to get on her bad side. She knew that if she threw it, her cover would be blown. Her hand trembled as she tried to come up with a plan. As she hesitated, Jack recovered his balance and pulled the handle of the chain out of Josie's grasp.

"What in tarnation are you waitin' for?" asked Josie in frustration.

Kim stayed frozen in place, clutching onto her fake throwing stars. Josie rolled her eyes and ripped off the top layer of her gown, revealing two firearms that were holstered to her green and white striped leggings. "As I always say, if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself!"

Unfortunately for Josie, Kim's hesitation gave Jack enough time to get to his feet and pull the chain out of Josie's grasp. Josie shot at Jack with one gun in each hand, but Jack rotated the chain in front of himself with fantastic speed, transforming it into a spinning shield and catching each bullet within one of its links. Kim was amazed by his incredible skill.

Rotating the chain like a lasso, Jack threw it at Josie. It knocked the firearms out of her hands, causing the bullets to spill out when they hit the floor. Then he swung the chain at her again. It wrapped tightly around her legs, pulling her onto the floor. He attached the other end to the bar so that she could not escape. Then, he turned to confront Kim. She saw her reflection in his sword and realized that she still appeared to be a threat as she held up her very convincing-looking ninja stars.

"It appears my old enemy has a new ally," said Jack.

"Wait!" Kim cowered before his sword. She knew that it couldn't harm an innocent, but she also knew not to underestimate Jack's skill in battle. "This is all a misunderstanding," she said. "They're just paper, see?"

She crushed the origami throwing stars in her hands. Jack sheathed his sword, realizing that the woman was unarmed.

"You little tramp!" yelled Josie, trying to untangle herself from the chain that held her against the bar. "You tricked me!"

Before Kim was able to further explain, the tavern door was shot down by laser beams from Aku's watch droids. "We must obliterate the criminal. She has defaced Aku's property," they chided, aiming their lasers directly at Kim.

Jack looked at Kim questioningly, still not sure if he could trust her. She shrugged her shoulders at him and ducked below the bar, praying that the lasers would miss and that the samurai she had searched for all this time did not mean to do her in over this grave misunderstanding.


	6. Chapter 6: The Samurai and the Princess

**Chapter 6: The Samurai and the Princess  
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Jack had learned from previous experience that it was important for him to keep his guard up in situations like this. Aku had tricked him before by disguising himself as a woman named Ikra and pretending to be his ally. Still, there was something hauntingly familiar about the woman in the red kimono. She didn't seem to have a warrior's instincts, and anyone could see that she was genuinely terrified of the lasers that Aku's drones were pointing at her. His first instinct was always to protect those who were in harm's way, so without a second thought, he unsheathed his sword and deflected the lasers that would have surely pulverized the young woman.

Springing into action, Jack leapt onto an empty table in the tavern. The scanners on both droids locked onto him and recognized as an even more imminent threat of Aku. "Sa-mu-rai Jack," they buzzed, "Enemy number one. Function: Exterminate!" Jack waited until their laser beams were nearly powered up. Then, he jumped off the table right in between the two droids while they followed him with their scanners to take aim. At the last second, he ran out of the way and let the lasers hit each other and destroy themselves. Several people in the tavern gasped at the explosion, but no one was hurt. Josie Clench rolled her eyes in annoyance from where she was tied up.

The woman in the kimono was busily focused on folding an origami crane, ignoring the fight. Jack knew that if he left her there, she would still be in danger. Aku didn't like leaving his work unfinished. If Aku really did send his drones after her, she probably wasn't his enemy. As the ancient proverb goes, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Are you all right?" asked Jack, outstretching his hand to the woman folding the paper crane.

"You're helping me?" she asked in surprise, placing the crane inside the folds of her obi. "But I thought—"

"Aku will surely send more drones after you if you don't leave now. Come with me so that no one else gets hurt. I know a place where you can hide."

The woman gently took his hand with the same delicate fingers that she often used for making very precise folds on various types of paper. As soon as she got to her feet, they started running. He led her out of the tavern, where more of Aku's drones tried to lock onto them as targets. They wove and out between massive buildings until the robotic scanners could no longer locate them. When they reached the outskirts of the city, Jack took the young woman through a hidden tunnel he had discovered during his quest that led to a beautiful forest, untouched by man or demon. The woman began to lag behind him, so he stopped near some trees to give her a moment to rest as the lights and movement of the city melted away into the calm green grass and gentle breezes of nature.

"You're really him!" she said excitedly. "You are the samurai they call Jack."

"Yes," he responded, unsure what to make of her excitement. "Who are you? Why were you helping that bounty hunter? Why are Aku's drones chasing you?"

"The people here call me Kim," she said with a quiver in her voice. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I wasn't trying to attack you, honest. I thought that woman was going to help me find you. If I had known what she was really trying to do, I never would have agreed to it. Please believe me!" she begged.

At that moment, Jack realized he had probably frightened the poor girl out of her wits when he raised his sword to her in the tavern. He softened his tone dramatically.

"It goes against my moral code to harm an innocent," he said. "As you said, it was simply a grave misunderstanding. Please forgive me." He bowed his head to her.

"No, forgive me!" she exclaimed, bowing her head even lower.

Jack laughed. "Of course. All is forgiven. Now, can you tell me why those robots were targeting you?"

"I'm not sure," said Kim, "but I think they were angry that I took this." She pulled the paper crane out of the folds in her obi.

"An origami crane?" asked Jack.

"Oh, sorry. Just a second." Little by little, Kim expertly unfolded each crease that made up the crane, gradually revealing one of Aku's many wanted posters of Jack.

"What did you want with this?" he asked.

"To find you. I've been searching for you for a long time. My people desperately need your help. You are the only one with the ability to harm Aku."

"Take me to your land," said the samurai. "I will do everything in my power to help."

"It isn't that easy," said the girl called Kim.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't remember me, do you?"

"I apologize. I have seen so many faces since I came here that is difficult for me to keep track of them all."

"Go back. Before that."

Jack stared at the woman's delicate features. There was something about her that reminded him so much of home, but those were memories that he had banished to the back of his mind because they made him feel so hopeless and nostalgic that he would lose sight of his present goals. Still, the way she bowed to him, the way she spoke, and the way she carried herself were all reminiscent of things that he had not seen in this world even among the people who tried to maintain many of the older traditions. After he had been studying her for a while, Kim started to giggle. He wondered if he was making her uncomfortable.

"Maybe this will help," she said. The woman reached into the folds of her obi and pulled out an origami cricket that she had made from one of the napkins at the tavern.

The memories came flooding back. He was running through a wheat field as a small boy, chasing a cricket. He thought he was alone, but he wasn't. There was a girl there who was also chasing a cricket. They ran after the bug through the mud, not caring how dirty their clothes got. When the cricket flew away, he created a new one for the girl out of the leaves in the wheat field and presented it to her as a gift. She accepted it and gave him his first kiss. Recalling the happy memories of his boyhood quickly led to more memories about his parents, when they were in their glory days as the emperor and empress of Japan. At that time, they seemed omnipotent in their strength, love, and wisdom. He had tried so hard to block out those memories because it hurt him so much to know that he might never see them again. Without realizing it, the samurai's eyes began to well up with tears.

"I'm so sorry," said Kim. "Did I say something wrong?"

Coming back to reality, Jack looked upon Kim with new eyes. Here, standing before him, was a remnant of a time that it seemed he would never return to. She was a vision of loveliness carrying with her all of the memories and traditions of the past. It had to be a trick. There was no way she could possibly be real. He placed his hand gently on her cheek and caressed her face. She was definitely not a ghost. The beautiful woman from the past reached up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I do not understand," he said. "How are you here?"

"I am Princess Kimiko of the kingdom of Ryukyu, and I was sent here by Aku as punishment for spreading hope to my people."

Jack's hands balled into fists that shook angrily. "This is not right," he said filled with frustration. "It should have only been me. I am his enemy. This never should have come to pass."

"His enemy is hope," said the princess. "You are our hope. He thought you would be dead by now. That's why he sent me here. He was wrong, and I am so happy."

"I cannot believe this!" Jack ranted. "How many more must suffer before this demon is stopped? You do not belong here! I must find a way to bring you back."

"I'm glad I was able to see all of this. You have done so much for these people. I traveled through countless tribes that were freed because of you. You are spreading peace everywhere you go. It's wonderful."

"Yes, but it is never enough. Aku's reign continues to terrorize the land. I must find a way to return to the past and stop what has happened."

"I will do everything in my power to help you with your quest."

"You will do no such thing."

Kimiko was stunned by Jack's words. He knew that the only way to protect her would be to keep her as far away from him as possible, but convincing her of that could prove to be difficult.

"Aku is always watching me and always looking for new ways to destroy me. Being near me means constantly taking your own life in your hands. I cannot allow you to do that."

"Then how will I free my people?" asked Kim.

"Just leave that to me."

"I won't! I refuse! I've already been through so much. I traveled all this way. You've done a great deal of good, but no one person can do everything. Your destiny is too great for you to take on alone."

"I have managed just fine on my own so far."

"Do you truly believe that?"

Jack went silent. In truth, it was heart-breaking to be so far away from his family and to only make friends in passing who was rarely able to see again. He could not tell this to Kim because he knew that it would only put her in danger. As the samurai who was destined to save everyone, it was vital that his own happiness always came last. The most important thing to do now was to make sure that he brought Kimiko someplace safe where she would not be harmed by Aku.

"I will place you in the care of the Shaolin monks," he said, avoiding her question. "Their temple is hidden from Aku's gaze. They will protect you for the time being. If I find a way to return to the past, I will send for you."

"I came all this way, and you're just going to get rid of me?"

"This is the way it must be. I'm sorry. I wish Aku never tore you away from your home. It isn't right."

"I'm not."

"You're not?"

"Aku sent me away from slavery. My kingdom was in ruins, its people miserable, my family destroyed. Now I see that there is hope for the future still. Have courage, Samurai Jack. You will find a way."

Jack remained silent for the rest of their journey back to the Shaolin temple. He was afraid he was starting to grow too fond of Kim for his own good.

Meanwhile, in the Pit of Hate, Aku rolled his eyes in disgust as he watched Jack and Kim travel together.

"I was supposed to have destroyed that samurai by now! How dare that annoying princess see him alive! No, this is all wrong. I need to do something about this, and quickly."

He twirled his flaming goatee around his claws, deep in thought.


	7. Chapter 7: The Pit of Hate

**Chapter 7: The Pit of Hate**

As soon as Jack and Kim reached the safety of the Shaolin temple, Aku's flame projector only showed static. After pounding on it angrily with his fists to no avail, he switched it off in frustration and morphed into a huge fire breathing dragon.

"Why does the samurai always manage to elude my grasp?" his voice boomed, exuding a long trail of fire.

The shape-shifting demon returned to his normal form and opened up a separate projector with a touch screen. On it, he scrolled through a series of images with his claw that depicted the many foes he had sent after Jack in the past. "Useless," he said, scrolling past an image of Demongo. "Useless." The Imakandi. "Useless." The Minions of Set. "Useless. Useless. Useless," he said, scrolling through images of various robots he had sent to destroy his number one enemy. Aku switched off the projector.

"What am I missing here?" he asked himself. "I have sent some of the most powerful forces in the world to destroy the samurai, and no matter what I do, he always manages to defeat them. There has to be another way. Hmmm."

One of his flaming eyebrows morphed into a monocle as he pulled out a score sheet that tallied Jack's victories. He shoved the sheet aside and returned his eye to normal.

"When I used brute force, he always wins. He keeps cheating with that enchanted blade of his. I must use cunning and deceit to destroy him instead. That's the trick to ridding myself of him. My shape shifting powers are no good. I've tried that too many times already. No, I need to enlist the aid of one of my servants."

Aku's eyebrows glowed a fiery orange as he prepared to summon one of his many minions from the bowls of the Pit of Hate. "From deep within my chamber of hatred, I summon you. Arise…Gustapho!"

Out of an explosion of flames appeared a small orange alien creature wearing a black suit. His head was twice the size of his body, and his eyes were huge and round. On his face was a never-changing expression of complete indifference.

"What do you want?" asked the alien in dry emotionless tone.

"Is that any way to address the shogun of sorrow?" asked the demon as his eyebrows flared up fiercely.

"Oh, great and powerful Lord Aku, I am yours to command. How may I serve you? Is that better?" asked Gus, dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes. That's better," said Aku, trying to ignore his sarcasm. "Gustapho, do you know why I have summoned you here?"

"Sure I do."

"Very good."

"You want me to help you file your taxes, right?"

"Er, no."

"Sort your mail?"

Aku's eyes glowed with anger. "No!" he yelled.

"Well, it certainly can't be that you want me to help you get rid of Samurai Jack."

"Yes," said Aku. "That is correct. The accursed samurai has been wandering freely in my world for far too long, plaguing it with his goodness and righteousness and attempting to end my magnificent reign of terror. I thought that I would already be rid of him by now, so I sent that annoying princess to this time to prove once and for all that the only future anyone will ever know is I, Aku. Yet, the samurai manages to overcome every challenge I send his way. Something must be done about this before the people try to rebel against me."

"So what do you want with me?" asked Gustapho. "I'm not warrior."

"No, you are not a warrior," said the demon, scratching his flaming goatee. "That much is clear."

"Thanks a lot," Gus replied dryly.

"I have sent the mightiest and the most powerful of warriors throughout all time and space to defeat the samurai, and all of them have failed me. That is why I have decided to use you against him. Perhaps you can succeed where countless others have not."

"Oh, I get it. You've already exhausted all your resources, and now you're left to scrape out the bottom barrel, right? That's how it always works when it comes to me. Nobody ever thinks of Gus until they've run out of all their other options. Then all of a sudden, I'm their best friend. I've been waiting around for thousands of years in the bowels of your Pit of Hate, but did I ever get a call? No. Heck, I'd be happy if you just checked in every once in a while to make sure I'm still alive. I had to sit there and watch as you sent warrior after warrior after warrior to try to defeat the samurai. You're obsessed, you know that? That's what you are. You really should talk to someone about this aggression problem of yours. It can't possibly be healthy. Then again, neither is your constant need to gain control of everything and everyone within your line of sight."

Aku morphed into a huge black megaphone with a green handle. "Silence!" he yelled, blowing Gus backward with the sound waves.

"See what I mean?" asked Gus, getting back to his feet as Aku returned to his regular form.

"I selected you out of my supreme arsenal because the samurai has come to expect me to send great warriors after him, and he has learned to recognize my disguises. I need someone who he would never suspect of working for the all-powerful Aku if I want my latest plan to unfurl without a hitch."

"What do you want me to do? Pretend to be his friend and then push him off a cliff or something? I've had that happen to me before, you know. It isn't fun."

"That would be nice, but I'm afraid his warrior instincts would easily overcome you."

"Sure. No one ever thinks Gus is capable of beating guys who are bigger and stronger and faster than him and have better training and wield magic swords and—what was I talking about again?"

"Listen carefully. This is what I need you to do for me."

Aku opened his flame projector and switched it to a channel that portrayed a dark and foreboding tower surrounded by a lightning storm.

"At the top of this tower is the one thing that the samurai seeks above all else—a portal that will allow him to travel through time."

At the top of the tower, a swirling pool of black and white light was revealed in the projector. An image appeared of Aku approaching the pool and angering by a ferocious harpy that was guarding a large egg. The harpy clawed at Aku, but he transformed into a black hawk with a green beak and clawed at the harpy's heart and wings until it was too injured to fly. Then, he pushed it off the tower, ignoring the cracks he had made in the egg. After returning to his nature form, Aku's mouth grew into a long straw that extended into the swirling vortex within the pool of light. He began to suck up white rings of light from the pool with his straw until it turned pure black.

"A very long time ago before I began my reign as this world's overlord, I defeated the harpy that guarded the tower and absorbed the energy within the pool of time so that I could use it for myself to aid me in my total conquest of the universe."

Aku fast forwarded the projector, speeding past images of when he conquered Jack's kingdom. He played it at regular speed again when he reached the very first battle he had with the samurai.

"Here we are. The first time I manifested this power was when the accursed samurai had nearly defeated me in battle. I used it to bring him to my future, where I thought I would have the power to destroy him once and for all. But even now, he lives on, attempting to find a way to travel back and finish what he had started all those years ago."

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" asked Gus.

"You'll like this next part," said Aku. "This is the part where you come in."

"Oh goody," said Gus so dryly that Aku was uncertain whether he was being genuine or sarcastic.

"Though I stripped this pool of its power, it can still be refueled by absorbing the life of a being who has been dislocated in time. If you can convince Samurai Jack that the portal will return him to his own time, he will attempt enter it, not realizing that it will suck out his soul and obliterate his life energy before he ever has a chance to use it. Then I will be rid of him once and for all! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

An image of Jack reaching into the portal appeared in the projector to demonstrate his point. As soon as Jack's fingers touched the dark pool, they morphed into a long white string of light that wove a spiral into of white the pool's blackness. As arm stretched into this long string of light, Jack appeared to be screaming in pain just before his head was sucked into the spiral with the rest of his body.

Gus applauded so rhythmically that it sounded as if he was watching a game of golf. "Excellent plan, Lord Aku. Is there any reason you never thought to try this before?"

"I thought it might be too risky. If he used some other soul to activate the portal, he could have used its power to return to his own time. That would have been very bad for me. However, after studying his mannerisms ever since I sent him here, I see that one thing is clear. The samurai is never willing to make sacrifices to get what he wants. I can use this to my advantage. He has freed too many of the civilizations that I worked so hard to enslave. He will not get away with it any longer!"

"And what about the princess?"

"She poses no threat to me, aside from her obnoxious optimism and happiness. I just want to make her suffer like the rest of my slaves in this world, and I can do that by squashing her hopes and dreams that the pathetic samurai is going to save everyone. Because he won't. I will make sure of that."

"You mean I will."

"Yes, well, I will make sure of it through the task that I have given you."

"Sure, go ahead and take all the credit. I don't mind. No one ever wants to credit Gus."

"Once you have done this for me, you will have all of the titles, land, and power that you could ever desire, Gustapho."

"You're just saying that."

"Well, are you up to the challenge or not? Will you help me to crush the samurai's soul once and for all, ensuring the completely and total triumph of darkness over every civilization in the universe?"

"I guess."

"You guess?"

"Well, it's not like I have anything better to do."

"So, you'll do it, right?"

"Sure."

"Excellent," said Aku, cackling maniacally. "He will never know what hit him!"

He switched the projector back to Samurai Jack's channel, where he saw the samurai wandering alone through an open field as the sun was setting. Aku's crazed laughter mixed with Gus's dry chuckle, forming an awkward chorus of wicked cacophonies.


	8. Chapter 8: The Tower

**Chapter 8: The Tower  
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The Shaolin monks were happy to see their old companion and his friend. Jack greeted them formally with a bow.

"I apologize for intruding on you once again, but a situation has arisen in which I must call upon your favor."

"There's no need to be so formal with us, Jack! After what you did for us, we owe you our lives," said the monk Jack had met when he first discovered their hideout. He led Jack and Kim inside the temple.

"What did Jack do for you?" asked Kim, eager to hear another story of the samurai's heroics.

"Perhaps that is a story for another time," Jack said hesitantly.

His monk friend, however, taking an immediate liking to Kim and her classic beauty, was all too happy to elaborate.

"A few years ago, Jack discovered our temple and revealed to us that he had trained with our Grand Master when he was younger, many centuries ago. The Grand Master told him of an ancient temple, which contained a portal with the ability to travel through time. Though it was heavily guarded, we sent our best warriors to accompany him. The guardians proved too powerful, though, and we knew that we would perish in battle. Instead of using the time portal, Jack gave up the opportunity to return home so that he could save us from the guardians. Unfortunately, the temple was destroyed, and his opportunity was lost. That is why we all owe him our lives."

Kim observed Jack's sinking expression as the Shaolin monk told her the tragic tale. She felt awful for him. He was the hope of the people, but his goodness only seemed to get in his way. Yet, this sadness seemed to be spawning from elsewhere as she realized he refused to make eye contact with her after the story was complete.

"I apologize, Kim. I was not able to take that opportunity to free you from Aku before he sent you here."

So, that was it. He felt guilty for her sake. Kim placed no blame on him. Instead, she took him by surprise by wrapping her arms around him in a comforting hug. He looked at her again, but this time with confusion in his eyes. She smiled warmly.

"Silly samurai," she said, "I know that you will always do what is right. That was not your time to return to the past, but I know that it is coming soon. You won't gain anything by filling yourself with regret."

Jack smiled back at Kim, seeing that she was sincere. He held her for just a moment before breaking the hug.

"Care to introduce us to your friend?" said another one of the monks in the temple.

"This is Princess Kimiko of the ancient kingdom of Ryukyu," said Jack. "Like me, she was dislodged from her own time due to Aku's deception. "Because of the bounty Aku holds over me, it is unsafe for her to travel with me on my quest to find another time portal. Therefore, I humbly request to leave her in your care until that happens."

"We'll take care of her the best we can," said the monk sincerely, "but why don't you stay with us for a little while too? The Grand Master will be happy to see you again, and you look like you could use some rest."

"I thank you for your hospitality," said Jack. "With Kim trapped here now, the need to find a time portal has become more urgent than ever. I can only stay for one night, and then I will need to make way for the village of Wukat for supplies."

"Then, for one night, we will be honored to have our old friend back with us!"

The Shaolin monks treated Jack and Kim to a great feast that evening, during which Kim was suspiciously quiet. The following day, Jack left alone and began traveling toward the village.

The marketplace in Wukat was bustling with people and noise. It was a village in the middle of a vast desert, so fruits and pots to hold water were popular items. People pushed at each other in their attempts to get the best sales before they were all gone. Jack found that he got shoved by several eager shoppers as well. He tried to excuse himself, but no one seemed to be paying any attention.

"Hey! You there!" shouted a gray alien in a white cloak who sat behind a table selling wares. "Yeah, you!" Jack approached the table.

"Look at the craftsmanship on this pot! See how I managed to perfectly create the visage of Lord Aku? Pretty neat, huh? You look like someone with a good eye for a sale, so I'll give it to you for just five coins! I bet that's the best deal you've gotten all day, huh?"

Jack's fist trembled at the mention of Aku and the intricate image of the demon on the pot. He knew the people of this land had no choice but to follow him, though, so he tried not to take out his anger on the alien. Before he could respond, however, a small orange creature in a black suit ran past him, being chased by four of Aku's minions, each of them holding a curved sword.

"Oh dear. Oh dear," said the creature in a dry voice.

"Um, excuse me," Jack said politely to the gray sales alien.

Jack unsheathed his sword and ran after the minions. The one furthest in the back tried to distract him while the other three grew hot on the trail of the orange creature, but Jack parried the minion's sword with his katana and used it to launch himself into the air toward the other three. He landed directly between the orange creature and his attackers, taking on a defensive stance.

"Well, that's convenient," said the creature. "You've got a sword too. Maybe if someone gave me a sword I wouldn't have to worry about problems like this, but of course no one ever thinks of that. Why would anyone trust Gus with a sword?"

Jack hacked through one of the minions, causing its dark form to dissolve like burning paper. The minion's sword flew over Jack's head and landed in the sand in front of Gus.

"That would sure be useful if I actually knew how to use it," Gus said dryly.

In a clash of swords, Jack took on the remaining three minions all at once, parrying their blows simultaneously and spinning in circles with his katana to attack them. One of them ripped straight through his sleeve and cut into his arm with its sword. Jack yelped in pain and immediately sliced a straight line through the minion, destroying it.

"All that just for a cut on the arm?" asked Gus. "I'd hate to see what you might to do a guy who took out an eye or something."

The other two minions tried to retreat, but Jack chased after them as well, plunging his sword into the backs of their necks. When a small amount of black ooze crawled away in the sand, Jack stabbed at it with his sword, dissolving another small part of Aku that was used to power his minions.

When Jack turned around, he found Gus responding to his efforts with unenthusiastic golf claps and sarcasm, two things he had never grown particularly accustomed to during his time in the future.

"Way to pulverize a bunch of minions you know nothing about who were chasing someone you've never met," said Gus.

"Uh, you're welcome, I think," Jack responded, rubbing his square jaw in confusion.

"You wouldn't happen to want to know why they were chasing me, would you?"

"That would be helpful," Jack replied.

"That makes two of us," said Gus.

"You do not know why you were being chased?" asked Jack, continuing to rub his chin.

"They certainly couldn't have been after this map to a tower that has a portal with the ability to travel through time at its peak, could they?" asked Gus sarcastically, pulling out a piece of paper.

"You possess a map to a time portal?"

"Maybe," said Gus. "What's it to you?"

"How did you come by such a thing?"

"How do you think? I inherited it. Duh. It is mine, after all. Since I'm the last of my kind, my family wanted me to have a way to travel back in time and see how my ancestors lived. What I can't figure out is what any of that has to do with Aku. It's not like he sends his minions after just anyone with a family heirloom. Everyone is always picking on Gus for no reason. That's the way it's always been."

"Gus, I believe I owe you an apology," said Jack. "It is no coincidence that our paths have crossed."

"You and eighty million other people," Gus retorted, "but please, continue."

"You see, for several years now, I have been searching for a portal back in time so that I can return to my home and end Aku's reign of terror once and for all."

"You don't say."

"Er, yes, and ever since then, Aku has been doing everything in his power to eliminate any method I might find of doing so, including, I am sorry to say, your family's map."

"And here I thought he was just jealous of my natural good looks."

"I apologize for the trouble you have been caused on my behalf."

"Yeah, thanks a lot."

"You're welcome. No, I mean, you're not—I mean—Mmph. Please allow me to accompany you to the time portal to make sure there are no further incidents. When we arrive there, we can both use it for our own benefits."

"Hey, I never said you could use the time portal."

"Forgive me. I simply assumed that—"

"I was only kidding. Of course you can use it. You just saved my life. Yeesh. Learn how to take a joke."

"Thank you," said Jack.

As they traveled through deserts, forests, and cliffs, Gus told Jack his life story without stopping at any point to take a breath.

"...and then I went to the dentist, and he told me I had a cavity, and my mother made me get a filling, but since Aku took us away from our home planet, they don't have the same kinds of dentists here, so the filling didn't work, and we had to go to a specialist who said he needed to use a substance that could only be found in dragon eggs, but dragon eggs are really hard to find, so we settled for a paste that was derived from the tusks of the bog beasts in the land of the flying elephants, but the next day, my mom lost a whole tooth, so that substance wasn't good enough to replace the whole thing, so we had to—"

"Is this the tower?" Jack interrupted, trying not to show his boredom with Gus's story.

Gus checked the map. The tower matched the foreboding cylinder on the map, complete with lightning storms and endless night.

"Nah. It must be a different one."

"Are you sure?" asked Jack, peering over at the map. "I could have sworn this was the one."

"You really don't understand sarcasm, do you, Jack?"

Jack inspected the tower. The stone gray walls were polished as smooth as marble with no bricks and no windows to use as footholds. It would be impossible to climb. He walked around it to find a huge steel door at the base.

"Should we knock?" asked Jack.

"Go right ahead. I bet the harpy that lives inside would love to have you for dinner," said Gus.

Jack pounded on the door, forcing it to swing open.

"The harpy?"

With a loud screech, a large monstrous creature with a human torso, feathered wings, and sharp claws flew straight at Jack, ripping out his topknot and shoving him against a wall inside the tower. The door slammed shut behind him. After he caught his balance, Jack unsheathed his sword, ready for battle.

"I guess I forgot to mention that. He's probably very hungry after being locked in there all this time. That won't be a problem, will it? Don't mind me. I'll just wait out here. Nobody ever thinks to check up on little old Gus."

As Jack valiantly fought the harpy from inside the tower, Gus noticed a shadowy figure that appeared to be wearing a black cloak watching him from around the other side.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked, once he was safely out of hearing distance from the door. "You just had to check up on me, Aku? Really? You don't think I'm capable of just performing one eensy weensy little task on my own? It's bad enough that you made me wait centuries before you even called on me, but this is just insulting. I got him all the way here, didn't I? He has no idea that the time portal up there is going to suck out his life energy before it's activated. I can handle it just fine, okay? Nobody ever has any faith in Gus."

The figure in the black cloak continued around the tower until it was out of Gus's vantage point.

"That's just fine," said Gus, "You go ahead and walk away without responding to my well-planned outburst. I don't mind at all. Yeesh."


	9. Chapter 9: A Sacrifice

**Chapter 9: A Sacrifice**

Jack was getting rather beat up inside the tower. The top portion of his gi had been torn to shreds, and the harpy's claws were strong enough to parry against his enchanted blade. Jack noticed two peculiar things about his environment. First, there were no stairs inside the tower, and second, there was a chain latched in a spiral around the walls that went all the way up to the roof. When the harpy had pinned Jack to the ground for the umpteenth time, clawing into his bare chest, Jack used the remainder of his upper body strength to reach behind his head and yank the bottom end of the chain off the wall.

The harpy opened its mouth wide and let out a screech, revealing its enormous fangs that were about to take a huge bite out of Jack when he spun the end of the chain around and threw it at the beast's neck, much like he had done with Josie's parasol at the tavern. When he pulled the chain to secure it, the harpy recoiled and released its claws from the samurai's chest, giving him just enough time to jump onto its back.

Despite his many wounds, Jack had now gained control of the harpy. He pulled on the chain around its throat to get it to fly wherever he wanted it to go. He guided it up to the roof of the tower, where there was a small opening that was just big enough for Jack to climb through, dragging the chain after him. The harpy clawed at Jack through the opening, tearing off the bottom half of his gi so he wore only his fundoshi underwear and sandals. With all its might, the beast tried to fly out through the hole, but its mass kept hitting the ceiling of the tower, causing it to rumble. No matter what it did, it could not break through. Jack pulled out the remainder of the long chain and swung it over the edge of the roof to the ground below.

"Gus!" he called. "I'm releasing a chain for you to climb to the roof!"

Jack inspected the stone pool that appeared to contain a black vortex within it. It did not look like the other time portals he had encountered. All of those had black and white energy spiraling within them together. Perhaps it needed to be activated somehow. He waited as Gus pulled himself onto the roof from the chain.

"Oh sure, you get a free ride, but I have to climb all the way up myself. Look at me! Do I look like someone with upper body strength to you?"

Jack ignored his comments. "Is this the time portal?" he asked.

"Does it look like a time portal?"

"Um…"

"Yes, that's it. Are you going to use it or what?"

"It does not appear to be active."

"Yeesh, do you need everything spelled out for you? Just reach in, think of where you want to go, and you'll activate it."

Jack placed his hand close to the pool. A white thread of energy began to trail from his finger into the dark liquid, making it glow and bubble. Before he reached in any further, an exquisitely detailed paper plane flew right into his hand. The craftsmanship looked very familiar. He took a step back from the pool and unfolded the origami creases, revealing a message.

_It's a trap! He's working for Aku._

It was scrawled in an ancient form of kanji that only someone from his own time would have been familiar with.

Jack unsheathed his sword and pointed it toward Gus as the figure in the black cloak climbed the rest of the way onto the roof and lowered her hood to reveal herself. Kim's long raven-colored locks blew freely in the wind as did Jack's.

"Well, this isn't going to be a problem for me," said Gus sarcastically.

"You were supposed to stay in the temple," said Jack without even turning to glance at Kim once.

"And you were supposed to send for me when you found a time portal," she responded.

"I didn't have to. You were already here."

"You knew?"

"I suspected you would try to follow me ever since you refused to be dropped off somewhere for safe-keeping, but I still needed to bring you to the temple so Aku would lose sight of you. That is the only way I knew you would be safe. I sensed your presence ever since I left for the village, but I was careful not to acknowledge you. That way, he would not know you were following me, and no harm would come to you."

"I'm impressed. You are so clever!" Kim squealed gleefully.

"Yes, let's all revel in our own pride. Of course, nobody thought for one second to tell Gus. I just led you to the time portal, that's all. It's not like it's a big deal or anything."

"Silence!" yelled a voice that made all three of them freeze in terror.

A large black crane with a green beak and flaming eyebrows flew to the roof of the tower. When it landed, its wings were absorbed into its body, its tail grew long and pointed, and its beak turned into a huge snout. Aku had morphed into a ferocious dragon that was twice the size of the harpy Jack had fought earlier. His eyes glowed bright with flames that he pointed toward Gus.

"You had one job," the demon roared in a booming voice.

"Yes, why would I ever think that a dark cloaked figure following me in the night could possibly be the shape-shifting master of darkness that gave me this assignment in the first place? Clearly, that's such a stretch of logic."

"You didn't think for even one second that it could have been the princess?"

"You mean the one who you said posed no threat?"

"I've had it with you, Gus!" Aku yelled.

"Yes, let's shoot fire beams at Gus. That will solve everything."

Aku released the beam from his eyes and breathed fire through his snout until all that remained of Gus was a pile of ashes. Then, Aku turned his fiery gaze to Kimiko. Jack guarded her with his katana.

"Stupid princess wrecking my perfect plan! I should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance."

"Why didn't you?" asked Kim.

"Why didn't you?" Aku mimicked. "I had no idea the accursed samurai would manage to outsmart me for this long! I think I'll just take care of you both right this instant!"

"You'll have to go through me first," said Jack, standing at the edge of the vortex pool.

"With pleasure!" said Aku.

The demon shot another beam of fire at Jack, but he jumped out of the way, causing the flame to enter the vortex pool. The black liquid inside it bubbled and crackled like a magic potion. Jack ran at Aku and slashed at his long dragon neck, causing a part of it to dissolve like burning film. The demon yelped in pain and held a claw over the wound. He wrapped his other enormous claw all the way around Jack's body and breathed fire on him, burning the open wounds on his chest. Jack freed one of his arms and used it to slash at Aku's wrist with his katana, burning away some of it, but Aku held fast to the samurai, shifting some of his body mass into the wound.

"You have spread your vile goodness for the last time, samurai. I am sick and tired of the sight of you."

"That makes two of us," said Jack.

"Time and time again, I have tried to destroy you, but everyone I have sent after you has been useless. It's true what they say. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!"

With that, he threw Jack into the bubbling vortex. Jack screamed, but before the anticipated impact, he felt two delicate hands pushing him out of the dark pool with all their might. He landed in front of the stone basin and turned around to find Kimiko trapped inside the pool with her body quickly melting away into ribbons of white light that swirled into the dark liquid it contained.

"No!" yelled Jack and Aku simultaneously.

"It was supposed to be him!" cried Aku.

Jack grabbed Kim's frail hand as it faded away into nothingness. He tried to pull her out of the pool, but her legs and her other arm had already unraveled into the vortex. He could not bring himself to accept what was happening. The samurai's eyes welled up with tears.

"Why?" he whispered.

With her last ounce of strength, Kim smiled at him.

"I listened to the story that the Shaolin monks told me," she said, "and I realized that the only way for you to succeed would be if someone believed in you so much that they would be willing to sacrifice their whole self for your cause."

An image of the oracle flashed in Jack's mind. "If no sacrifice is made, you will never complete your quest," she had said.

"It isn't right," Jack sobbed.

"Few things in life are," said Kim, her voice barely a whisper now. "But everything about you is right. You are our light and our hope. I'm so glad I got to know you. You will make a great king someday."

With that, she vanished into the swirling white energy of the vortex. In Jack's hand was now an origami cricket made from napkins. Jack squeezed it into a fist and stood up to face Aku, his head turned downward and tears welling from his eyes. Thunder struck loudly in the sky, and lightning bolts rained down all around Jack. He glared at Aku's reflection in his sword.

"Aw, how pwecious," said Aku. "The wittle samuwai wost his wittle fwiend." The demon batted his eyelashes tauntingly. "Your suffering gives me great pleasure, samurai!"

"Enjoy it, while you can," said Jack, releasing the origami cricket onto the ground, "because this is the end for you, Aku!"

Jack ran at Aku, screaming out a battle cry. He plunged his katana into the dragon's hind leg, dissolving it into nothingness. Aku tried to bat down the samurai with his razor-sharp tail, but Jack blocked the attack and slashed the tail away well. He hacked relentlessly all the way up Aku's lower body as the demon morphed back into his original form, shrinking down to his waist from the wounds of the samurai's enchanted steel. All that remained of him now were his arms and head. Using the last of his strength, Aku grabbed the stone basin containing the time portal, ripped it out of the ground, and threw it off the tower. Jack stood at the tower's edge, realizing that the time portal must have been activated by Kim's sacrifice. Why else would Aku risk his own life to get rid of it?

"I'll give you a choice, Samurai Jack," said Aku as the basin fell from further the tower. "You can let me have the past or let me have the future. Either way, I win."

With what was left of his body, Aku morphed into a cricket and buzzed over Jack's head, taunting him. Everything seemed to go into slow motion. Jack looked up at the demon who had enslaved so many civilizations since he was sent to this future. His evil knew no bounds. If Aku remained in this world, everyone Jack had encountered and befriended would continue to suffer. Then, he looked down at the time portal that was plummeting quickly to its destruction. He thought of his home, his parents, and of Kimiko. He could net let her sacrifice be in vain.

A memory came to him of the day he first set off to defeat Aku, with so many hopes and dreams relying on him. He told his father that he would use the sword to vanquish evil from the earth, but the wise emperor knocked the sword out of his hand, showing him that this mindset was wrong. "The sword is only a tool," his father once said. "What power has it compared to the hand that wields it? Evil is clever, and deception is its most powerful weapon. Let the sword guide you to your fate, but let your mind set free the path to your destiny."

The cursed samurai knew now what needed to be done to end his curse once and for all.

"AKU!" Jack yelled. "I will not allow you to harm another innocent in this world or the next!"

With that, he flung his sword like a javelin at the demonic black cricket, piercing right through it in an explosion of black ooze that evaporated around the sword. Then, the samurai took a moment to pray to his ancestors before leaping from the tower.

"Give me the strength to vanquish all evil from this world and the next," he said. "My heart is pure, and my cause is true."

With that, he jumped down through the air, using wind currents to guide him with precision toward the basin as time was quickly running out. He landed inside the portal that Kim had activated just before the basin hit the ground and smashed into a thousand pieces, losing all its power. The now useless katana that had freed the future from slavery landed on top of the pile.

That was how Samurai Jack freed the future from Aku's reign. However, his quest was not over yet.


	10. Chapter 10: Journey's End

**Chapter 10: Journey's End**

Jack fell through the sky and landed in the middle of a dark forest. The pain from his last few battles was so great that he could barely bring himself to stand. He was alone now, in every sense of the word. His gi and katana had been lost to the other timeline, and there were no friendly faces here to be rescued nor were there enemies to defeat. So, he did as he always had. He put one foot in front of the other and wandered through the woods, uncertain of his destination. His wounds burned more with each step he took. In the distance, he heard the galloping and neighing of a horse.

"Could it be?" asked Jack, as he stopped to listen.

He thought of his old friend, the white horse he rode valiantly to the Pit of Hate when he had first encountered Aku in combat. As the galloping sound came closer, though, he realized that it sounded like too many legs for just one horse. Plant life seemed to grow all around the forest the closer the sound got. The trees became greener, and flowers started to bloom. Running toward Jack was a great white horse with eight legs. He had heard about Sleipnir, the steed of Odin, from his father's tales, but nothing could prepare him for the majesty of seeing this divine horse with his own eyes. As Sleipnir released his glittering white breath onto Jack, the pain in his wounds seemed to subside.

The majestic horse lowered its head to the fallen samurai and gestured for him to climb atop its back. Jack bowed humbly to the steed before obeying its wishes. Sleipnir carried him up a mountain that extended high into the clouds. Jack's jaw dropped in amazement when he reached the top of the mountain to encounter three mythological gods from his father's stories—Odin, Ra, and Vishnu. He dropped to his knees and bowed to pay his respects to the gods who had forged his family's enchanted blade.

Jack clasped his hands together and begged the gods for forgiveness for losing the katana they had worked so hard to create for his father all those years ago. Odin held up his hand, gesturing for Jack to stop. The gods understood his sacrifice.

Though they no longer had enough light magic to form a blade as powerful as the one they presented to his father, the three ancient gods collected what little light magic they had left and compressed it into what appeared to be a glowing stick of lightning. Vishnu pushed the stick against the string of his bow without launching it as a demonstration. It became clear to Jack that the glowing band of light was meant to be used as an arrow. Ra gestured for Jack to stand. He did so, and Odin placed the arrow of light in Jack's hand.

As soon as Jack touched the arrow, he felt stronger. The wounds on his arms and chest closed up entirely, and his body was engulfed by a bright light. When the light subsided, he found himself encased from head to toe in glowing white samurai armor. He bowed to the gods once again to express his gratitude. Then, Vishnu presented the samurai with one more gift—his divine bow. Jack tried to refuse, for he did not think himself worthy of wielding a weapon owned by one of the gods, but Vishnu forced it into his hand. Jack closed his eyes for a moment and then held the bow above his head with a look of pure determination.

Donning his new armor and wielding the divine bow and arrow, Jack rode Sleipnir quickly back down the mountain and straight to the entrance of the Pit of Hate, where he dismounted the horse and pet its mane tenderly to show his gratitude. The time had come to finish this at last.

Jack leapt down through the red-hot flames of Aku's chamber, holding the bow high above his head. Far below, he saw a figure dressed in white and wielding an enchanted blade. He gasped, realizing that the figure was him.

"You might have beaten me now, but I will destroy you in the future," echoed Aku's voice from Jack's hiding place.

"There is no future for you," said Jack's former self.

"I disagree," responded the demon. With that, he released from his mouth the curse that had afflicted Jack for all of these long years, sending him far into the future.

"What trickery is this? Aku!" yelled the young samurai before vanishing into the time portal.

"Do not worry, samurai. You will see me again, but next time, you will not be so fortunate," said the demon after Jack's former self had vanished.

"I beg to differ," said Jack's current incarnation. His voice echoed off the flames from Aku's chamber.

"Who said that?" asked Aku, taken aback by surprise. He turned his head every which way, including some ways that were not humanly possible.

The armored samurai revealed himself from up high. Aku morphed into a bat and flew around Jack, trying to determine if he was just a trick of the light.

"How can this be?" asked the demon. "I just sent you thousands of years into the future! I saw it with my own eyes! This must be some sort of trick."

"It is no trick, demon," Jack responded. "You did send me away, and you tormented me and all who encountered me for many moons."

"Yes, well, that does sound like something I would do," Aku agreed, morphing back into his regular form and rubbing his flame goatee deep in thought.

"You have no idea how much you have taken from me, the years you have stolen from my life, and the innocents who have suffered on your behalf. The sins that you have committed are unforgivable, and now, you must pay for them with your life."

"I got rid of you once, samurai," said Aku, "and I can do it again."

As his mouth formed the white rings that had sent Jack to the future just moments earlier, Jack aimed the arrow of light swift and true at Aku's heart. He launched it from the bow and dissolved a huge hole in Aku's chest that caused the rings that were forming time portal to waver and blink out before they reached Jack. Aku yelped in pain as the light from the arrow surrounded him with bolts of electricity that evaporated the black substance that made up his skin. As he dissolved, he morphed into various creatures that became smaller and smaller. First, he was a bull, then a horse, then an octopus, then a bat, then a rat, and finally a fly that the remaining light of the arrow squashed like a fly swatter until both the arrow and the demon vanished from all of time and space.

"At last," said Jack, holding up Vishnu's bow heroically, "my quest is complete."

He heard a rumbling sound and realized the solid flames that made up the wall of Aku's chamber were turning into real flames as the Pit of Hate began to vanish from existence as a result of Aku's destruction. Jack jumped onto the few flames that remained solid, propelling himself higher above the structure until he finally reached the top. The flame he stood on there gave out under him, burning through his armor, turning it dark blue as it lost its glow. The samurai reached out desperately, as the pit pulled him in, attempting to swallow him whole. Something from above entered his hand and pulled him toward the surface. It was one of Sleipnir's hooves. Clutching onto the horse's foreleg, Odin's steed pulled Jack out of the Pit of Hate just before it vanished from existence. Rising to his feet, Jack bowed to Sleipnir. The mighty steed nodded his head and took back Vishnu's bow in its mouth. He galloped off to return it to him, growing green leaves and flowers in every step he took. The samurai marveled at the beauty of it all as the steed vanished from sight.

Jack heard another horse galloping toward him, this one on four legs, from the opposite direction. He turned to find his own white steed, who he had not seen for many years, coming at him in. Upon making contact with the samurai, the horse jumped in excitement and nuzzled his face, overjoyed to see him alive. Jack laughed and stroked its mane lovingly.

"It's good to see you too, old friend," he said.

Climbing atop his steed, Jack rode swiftly back to his old village, where he hoped to be reunited with his family at last. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he finally felt at ease with a calming self of peace and tranquility.


	11. Chapter 11: Homecoming

**Chapter 11: Homecoming  
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As he rode through the light of the full moon, Jack knew he was getting close to his village when he heard the faint sound of thunderous cheers and applause that gotrew louder as his horse galloped closer. Every trace of Aku had vanished within the light of the divine arrow, so his minions were no longer around to enslave Jack's people, and the people rejoiced. As the cheering got louder, he began to see many smiling faces appear before him. The people were battered and broken from Aku's torment, but there was a light that shined through each and every one of them, knowing that now they were free.

When they saw the mighty samurai riding in valiantly from the foreboding woods, they knew in an instant that he was the one they had to thank for their lives and their freedom. Without fail, every person that Jack rode past dropped to their knees and bowed to him in gratitude. This continued until his horse came to a halting stop in front of one stately old man who did not bow, but instead looked upon the samurai with great pride and love in his eyes.

"My son," said the battered emperor, "you have succeeded."

"Yes, Father," said Jack, as he dismounted his steed, "but so much as happened since I left."

"Let me look at you," said the emperor.

He studied his son, noticing the creases that had appeared under his eyes from years of tireless battle. The strange armor Jack wore reminded the emperor of his own experience fighting Aku. It occurred to him that their family's enchanted katana was no longer at Jack's side. To the emperor, he had only been gone for perhaps a few hours, but to the samurai prince, it had been nearly an eternity.

"You have aged, my son," said the emperor, "but how? It was mere moments ago that you left to battle Aku."

"It is a long story," said Jack, "one that would be best told after we restore our kingdom to its former glory. I wish to remove all traces of Aku's tyranny from our land as soon as possible."

The emperor nodded. Over the next few weeks, Jack benevolently led his people in tearing down all the structures that Aku had forced them to build in the demon's own visage and reviving all of the traditional Japanese pavilions that he remembered from his childhood, including the beautiful palace he had once lived in. He wrote out blueprints for the most efficient and structurally sound ways to restore his old home and gave all of the workers plenty of food and time off to rest. Finally, it looked just as it had before Aku burned it down with his demonic flames. The cherry blossoms went into full bloom just as the final touch was added, causing the lovely petals to blow around the kingdom, enhancing its purity and goodness.

When all of the work had been completed, the emperor and his son donned their royal garb once more and sat together in a quiet room of the palace that was decorated with elegant tapestries, statues, and fountains. Little by little, Jack recounted the many tales of his travels to his father.

"The burly man would not let me cross the bridge no matter what I did," Jack continued. "I even offered to hang from the planks and let him pass, but he accused me of wanting to look up his kilt!"

"Oh, how embarrassing!" laughed the emperor.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," said a frail female voice.

The emperor and his son turned toward the doorway to see the kindly old empress looking in on them. Jack felt his eyes well up with tears every time he saw her, for it reminded him of all the years he grew up apart from his mother's love. She had grown old and weak in her age, but she still carried herself with the grace and gentility of her youth. Her eyes were warm and loving, and she donned a handsome maroon kimono decorated with cherry blossoms that seemed to suit her perfectly.

"You are always a welcome interruption, my dear," said the emperor to his wife.

The empress bowed to her husband and son.

"My dear son," she said, "some royal visitors have come to pay their respects to you for saving their kingdom from the demon Aku."

"It would be my honor to attend to them," said the samurai prince. "Excuse me, Father."

"With pleasure," said the emperor, his eyes beaming with pride.

Jack's mother led him to a beautiful corridor where three regal onlookers waited on him. One was a tall and elegant woman wearing a purple kimono with matching beaded chopsticks pushed into her perfect bun. The other was a stout bearded man in golden-brown garb. The third visitor, however, caused Jack to gasp in shock. She was the spitting image of Kimiko, wearing a yellow kimono very similar to the one she wore when they met as children in the wheat field.

Realizing that he was still staring, Jack quickly lowered his head in a traditional bow to the royal visitors. All three of them bowed in response.

"I am the king of Ryukyu," said the stout man, "and this is my wife and my daughter, Princess Kimiko. We came here to thank for the great service you have performed for our kingdom. The demon Aku was going to enslave our people after he had finished with yours. He already began tearing down some of our ancient structures before you set off to defeat him."

"I am humbled by your gratitude, and I am glad to know that your kingdom has been preserved thanks to my efforts," said Jack, still staring at Kimiko in disbelief.

"Are you all right?" asked the princess, smiling at him curiously. "You look as if you have seen a ghost."

"You don't remember?" asked Jack.

Then, it became clear to him. Aku sent her into the future well after the time period that he returned to. Of course she would have no memory of it!

"Have we met?" asked Kimiko. "I was told that the son of the Japanese emperor spent most of his time abroad, training with the greatest of warriors to defeat the demon Aku."

"Yes, well, it was a very long time ago," said Jack.

"My daughter was quite taken by your heroism," said the king.

"I am sure she has many hidden talents of her own," Jack responded with a sparkle in his eye.

That night, while their parents were chatting over a royal feast, Jack presented Kimiko with an extremely intricate origami ring. She gasped with delight. The moment she slipped it onto her finger, the princess's memories of the boy in the wheat field returned. Just as she had when they were children, Kimiko leaned over and kissed Jack on the cheek, blushing and smiling brightly at him.

Some time later, the samurai prince and princess were married in a beautiful royal ceremony that united their two kingdoms. Together, they led their people into a new age of peace and prosperity, untainted by the darkness of Aku. Kimiko bore an adventurous son who Jack trained in the ways of the samurai, should any wickedness should ever threaten their way of life again. The new emperor and empress were beloved by all their people and lived happily for the rest of their days.

_The End_

* * *

><p><strong>Final AnalysisThoughts:**

Thank you so much for sticking with me and reading my story to the very end. This is, of course, one possible interpretation of how Jack could have defeated Aku and returned to the past. I realize that it slightly contradicts episode XXXII of the series, which portrayed Jack being able to use the time portal as an old man with a crown and a beard, but is that really the ending that fans want? If that is truly meant to be the canon version, then let's just say that it's what would have happened if Kimiko did not get sent to the future.

Though writing has always been my fondest passion, I've never been very big on fanfiction because I usually prefer everything to fit neatly into the canon universe that the creators intended. However, after the live-action Samurai Jack feature finale from 2005 fell through, followed by the Frederator Studios collaboration in 2009 falling through, followed by Genndy's collaboration with J.J. Abrams in 2011 falling through, I attended San Diego Comic-Con International in 2012 and approached Genndy about the film. He said that while he would still like to create the movie, none of his collaborators have followed through. As they say, if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself. I realized that I might never see Jack return home unless I went ahead and penned it from my own imagination, so I decided to do just that. However, I would still love to see Genndy's interpretation of this story on the big screen someday.

Originally, I dabbled with the idea of writing this as a screenplay since I majored screenwriting in college and have written several screenplays of my own, but that would get me into a big mess of finding storyboard artists and animators and then falling into copyright traps and possibly angering the creators of the show. Ultimately, I decided this format would make the story the most easily accessible to fans without needing to worry about budget or copyright issues. At 20,000 words, it is relatively short, as are most of the books I've written, but since so much of Samurai Jack is told through beautiful art and music sequences, I think this could easily be converted into a feature length film in the same style.

By Chapter 6, I was a bit worried that Kimiko was starting to overshadow Jack, so I'm very sorry if she did, but I'm definitely not sorry I wrote her. My favorite episode of the show is episode XIX, and I have always wanted to know more about the girl who kissed Jack in the wheat field. I'm extremely happy with the way she turned out. While there are plenty of iconic animated princesses, there are very few Asian ones, if any, which is a shame because the Asian culture is so beautiful. I love how instead of being submissive and depressed after losing everything, Kimiko decides to protect her people, much like Jack. She shows us that it's possible to protect the innocent without being a warrior. She also has some mad origami skills, which I am extremely jealous of and make her unique as a character.

I would hope that extending the animation for the battle sequences that Jack has would make Kimiko feel less overwhelming in a feature film. She was vital to this story because the series never showed us what had happened in the past after Jack didn't return from the battle with Aku. As the only person who still believed he was alive, it was her destiny to see him again. It isn't that I thought that Jack needed a love interest in the future, but it makes sense that Kimiko's everlasting optimism about everything would have gotten on Aku's nerves so much that he wouldn't know how else to handle the situation. If you were wondering, I always intended to bring her back in the epilogue since she was sent through the portal shortly after the time period that Jack was trying to return to.

I did not come up with the idea for Gus until just before I started writing chapter 7. My motivation was that Jack and Kim are such serious characters overall that I feared the story might be lacking in the classic cartoon humor that Genndy's work is famous for. Before I began writing him in, I wished I had come up with him sooner for the sake of comedic relief. Once I realized how annoying he was, though, the moment he got killed off could not have come soon enough for me. I attempted to sprinkle some humor into the story before his appearance between the Lafidians, the Scotsmen, and Aku, but I'm not sure how well that came across since comedy has never been my strong suit.

As for Jack, he is absolutely perfect the way he is, so I tried not to mess with that. I did make it a point that his desire to always do the right thing often got in the way of what he wanted since that had been a common theme in the series. As a fan, I would have certainly wanted to see that issue addressed in a feature film. I tried to write his battle sequences as closely to the style of the series as possible. He only kills robots and demons, which is why Josie got tied to the bar and the harpy got stuck in the tower. Chapter 10 contained many references to "The Birth of Evil" because that was a fantastic and cinematic work of art that everyone loved and won an Emmy, and it would only make sense for Jack to follow in his father's footsteps. I love Jack, and I wanted him to finally have his happy ending. He's more than earned it by now.

I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of Jack's return to the past. If you have any suggestions how to improve this story or thoughts on how you would have liked to see it happen, I would love to hear them. Feel free to share your comments in a review or a private message if you'd prefer to speak with me directly.

May all of your quests be completed with success and happiness!

Love,  
>Lisa Dawn (ForsakenMermaid)<p> 


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